Eating Nuts for Snacks Could Help Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Nuts are a delicious snack. Those who taste nuts for a living describe the flavor as sweet and buttery. A handful satisfies most midday appetites. They are crunchy. They are healthy. They are delicious. While not everyone can tolerate eating nuts, their delicious flavor appeals to many people. In fact, in recent years almonds have surpassed peanuts as America’s favorite nut. Did you know that eating nuts for a snack could help keep your teeth healthy?

Nuts Benefit Your Teeth

Nuts are a top choice for a snack. Almost all nuts are low in carbohydrates. Sugar and carbohydrates are the top two offenders in the mouth. Both ingredients can lead to a buildup of plaque, which is the first step in tooth decay. By avoiding sugar and carbohydrates, your teeth are less prone to cavities. Consuming raw foods, like fruits and vegetables, drastically reduces your risk of gum disease. Chewing nuts also reduces your risk of gum disease and nuts also helps to strengthen your teeth. Nuts can even remove bacteria as the texture of the nuts cleanses the surface of your teeth and increases your flow of saliva.

A Healthy Snack

Nuts can be eaten alone or paired with other foods to make a healthy snack. Everyone has their favorite trail mix, but did you think of nuts with steamed vegetables? Try tossing some pecans with steam green beans with a little olive oil and salt. Almonds can decorate the top of any favorite breakfast cereal which will enhance the flavor and texture as well. Walnuts can improve practically any salad. Nuts can even go inside tortillas with meat, cheese, and a vinegar-based dressing.

Call Our Offices

We like to help people keep their teeth healthy. Many lifestyle choices can impact the health of your teeth. While eating nuts may be one way to stay healthy, we would love to discuss other healthy practices at your next routine cleaning and checkup. Give us a call today at our Milwaukie or Oregon City offices!

Oral Health Benefits That Come With Eating Berries

Berries are a delicious, healthy way to add a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as water and fiber to your diet. Many berries are even considered superfoods because they contain powerful antioxidants that can help reduce your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and other medical conditions. But did you know that berries also have important benefits for your oral health?

Polyphenols Prevent Tooth Decay

New research has shown that dark-colored berries such as blueberries and cranberries contain compounds that can protect your teeth from decay-causing bacteria. These natural antioxidant compounds, known as polyphenols, prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to your teeth and gums, thus reducing the risk of plaque buildup, tooth decay, and even gum disease. The polyphenols in cranberries specifically are known to linger in our saliva after swallowing, meaning that they continue to be beneficial to our teeth beyond just while we are eating the berries. Researchers have even begun experimenting with extracting polyphenols from dark-colored berries for use in oral health care products. The extracts themselves are sugar-free, meaning that they could be added to products like toothpastes and mouthwashes without introducing any counterintuitive sugar.

Proanthocyandins Can Protect Against Gum Disease

In addition to polyphenols, blueberries also contain other antioxidants known as proanthocyandins, or PACs. Studies have shown that PACs are effective at protecting your teeth from a certain strain of bacteria that is responsible for aggressive forms of gum disease. These antioxidants also protect immune cells in our mouths called oral macrophages, and can decrease inflammation, which is another factor in the development of gum disease.

Adding Berries to Your Diet

Consuming blueberries, cranberries, and other antioxidant-rich berries is beneficial to your oral and overall health. However, it is important to note that like any fruit, berries contain natural sugars that can still be damaging to your teeth in high amounts. If you want to add berries to your diet, try eating them in moderation, as a component of your meals rather than on their own.

Contact our offices in Milwaukie, Oregon City, or our Mobile Dental Clinic to learn more about how you can prevent tooth decay and gum disease.